The Children of Hades
by Bellismo
Summary: Sequel to Poseidon's Gift. Some questions have gone unanswered... Why did Percy receive a gift? How does Caine fit into the picture with Gaea? And most importantly a new enemy is rising... and is able to control the gods.
1. Chapter 1

Gaea stared at the white cabin wall. The FAYZ cabin was so full of colour, except in her room. Gaia had asked for white: it made her feel safe, like the Darkness could only reach her in darkness. A white bed was below her, perfectly made like it was every day. Her clothes were folded neatly in the white drawers and her favorite book, Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows, sat on top of her white bedside table. The lamp sat beside it (off of course), with white designs curving around it.

Gaea waited. She had become quite good at waiting in the past few days. Nico had gone monster hunting (in other words, he needed a break from Camp) and because her mother refused to let Gaea go with him, she was alone. The other campers avoided her. Some because she wasn't a demigod (well, they didn't _think _she was); some because she had been through the FAYZ; and the last because she had been possessed by an alien and tried to kill humanity.

Diana, her mother, tried to take care f Gaea but in the end she really just wanted to spend time with Caine. Gaea knew it and so she made a point of avoiding her mother and 'father'. Gaea did see Diana sometimes; usually within their cabin, which Greek and Roman demigods had helped to build.

Gaea stood up, picking up her pitch-black bow and dagger as she did so. They transformed to bracelets on contact but Gaea didn't panic. She kept the weapons hidden from everybody except Nico, even Diana.

Gaea walked up the stairs to the ground floor. Colors seeped into the building as she approached the entrance. First was a touch of pale blue, which quickly switched to a purple and then a green. The colors became more prominent, and soon Gaea watched as blood red and sky blue moved to collide on the walls. The only magic part of the cabin: the moving colors on the walls. Peach clashed with highlighter yellow before being torn apart again by some invading sea green.

Gaea walked past the magic collisions on either side of her. She barely blinked; the magic was part of her every day now. As Gaea passed the living room she turned. In front of the young demigod was… nothing. Colors swirled like a whirlpool, colliding and separating. Gaea took one step forward and placed one finger on the wall delicately; as if she thought it would collapse. The whirlpool of colors seem to carry on as normal, until it stopped. The colors froze. Then they converged before blending together.

A black doorknob appeared before Gaea grasped it. She glanced behind her, checking to see if anybody had come in through the rainbow door (without the moving colors). Satisfied that she was alone, Gaea pushed the secret door and stepped out, ready to sneak to the forest.

Nico threw open the doors with a flick of his wrist. Shadows obeyed his command, rushing to open the tall doors before their master stormed through it. Skeleton guards shook at the sides, some bowing. Nico unsheathed his sword, letting it swing like an extension of his arm.

The shadows were in chaos. Hades sat on a bone of thrones, tortured souls screaming silently. His hands were raised in a calming gesture, but it was for his son. The shadows were not listening.

Nico stormed up to his father's throne, looking him in the eye. Nico stood straight and didn't even bow his head. Instead the shadows rose up in a wall behind the demigod.

"Calm down, Nico." Hades kept his demeanor calm as he watched the shadows twirl and spin in a dance of destruction. He tried to discretely reinstate his power in the shadows but Nico was angry.

And very, very powerful.

"I heard what happened with you and Diana." Nico stated with a disgusted look on his face. Hades was already pale, but his skin seemed to turn even whiter. He stared down at his son, who seemed to be oblivious to his father's fear. Nico stayed silent. He had told his dad all he needed; now he wanted explanation.

Hades tried to sort out his thoughts. Flashes from the past flashed through his head: traffic in the Underworld, the FAYZ starting, the Voice whispering in his head, Diana.

"It was not me" Nico stared at his father in disbelief. Why had he lied to Gaea? Hades sat on his throne, trying to stop fear pouring out. "I heard a voice, it took control…"

Nico stared with wide eyes. The shadows dropped out of his control and returned to their positions in the room and hallway. Only a few remained, creating a shadow chair for the Ghost King to collapse into.

"Why didn't you tell anybody?" Nico asked, his voice suddenly sounding weak and defeated. The anger had left his coal-black eyes and it been replaced with something else. Sadness? Failure? No, it was something much worse. Worry for Gaea had taken control of Nico's heart.

Hades watched his eldest son with pity. "My brothers would not believe me. Something possessing the gods- ha! They would think me weak and foolish."

Nico looked at his father forlornly. "Can you ask? For Gaea. For me."

Hades shook his head in defeat. His mind remembered the encounter clearly: Zeus dismissing his worries and fears with a flick of his wrist and Poseidon staring at him in disbelief. "I've tried Nico. They turned me away."

Nico did not press his father further. He could hear the regret in his father's voice. The god of Death had tried, but the Olympians had grown so apart that they didn't believe their eldest brother.

Instead, the son of Hades trudged out, allowing the shadow chair to dissipate. He trudged solemnly out of the Underworld, shadow travelling away from his father's domain.

The shadows engulfed his gently as he willed himself to leave. They pushed him from side to side, only travelling roughly straight because of one thought.

_Camp Half-Blood._


	2. Chapter 2

I wandered around the forests of Camp Half-Blood: waiting for something to happen. She used her powers to play with the shadows but always kept them away from her.

Gaea walked on: deeper and deeper into the forest. Animals went about their daily lives all around her, but none of them approached. Gaea brought out her bow and took aim.

The black arrow whizzed past her, in bedding itself in the ground. Suddenly, a cold feeling crept up on the daughter of Hades.

"Who is it?" Gaea tried to keep the fear out of her voice. She was immune to the Death auras; but whatever it was, it felt like that.

Gaea walked towards the darkest area of the forest. Her bow was ready to fire as she peered behind the bushes.

To her astonishment no monsters were hiding in the shadows. Nothing was. A puzzled look crept on to Gaea's face but it was quickly replaced with fear.

The child struggled with all her strength to no avail. The shadows were imprisoning her. A tornado of darkness surrounded her: tearing at her clothes and skin.

Gaea tried to use her powers but they wouldn't work. Something was controlling the shadows. She tried to scream but cry was lost in the shadows and darkness.

The shadows moved faster, Gaea's clothes were tattered rags and she was bleeding profusely. She tried to stop crying: the salt hurt her wounds.

Then she was falling. Gaea tried to grab the side of the gaping chasm but it was too big. In the distance, or maybe very close, somebody laughed. It sent shivers up Gaea's spine.

"Are you strong enough to withstand me?"

The voice echoed around the hole. Wind whipped Gaea's hair backwards.

And then it stopped.

Gaea found herself in complete darkness: which was odd, because she could usually see in the dark. The voice was in the corner, watching her.

"What do you want?" She sobbed. The wounds were gone now but the pain remained. The darkness threatened to overwhelm her with memories of the FAYZ.

The voice laughed again. It was like they were scraping their nails on a chalkboard while they did it. It was a loud laugh, and definitely a man's.

"Why, I only want to meet you." Gaea felt something stroke her cheek. She froze: the touch was ice cold and sent fear through her body. The voice leaned closer (Gaea could feel the cold radiating from it). "I've been watching you."

Gaea stepped back but all warmth had left her. Gaea shivered in the darkness, alone.

"Leave me alone."

The shadows pushed her out. Gaea barely glanced back at the bush before taking off at a sprint. She dodged branches and never once glanced behind her. Something told her the voice could easily catch her again, but she still wanted to run as far away as she possibly could.

"Faster…" A voice (not the one in the shadows) whispered. Gaea felt another surge of adrenaline: not because she was scared of the new voice, she found it comforting. She trusted it for some inexplicable reason.

Gaea burst out of the trees and ran to the Hades cabin. "Nico? Are you here?"

Nico rolled off of his bed. "I need to tell you something."

Both explanations took time. The demigods traded stories: one from the forest, one from the Underworld.

"Who is the voice?" Gaea asked her brother. She didn't really expect an answer: neither of them knew who they could be.

Nico didn't reply, instead he grabbed a piece of paper and a Biro. "What do we know?"

The children brainstormed together in the light of the Greek fire. Nico scribbled each point down in a mixture of Greek and Latin. Translated, the list went as follows…

1. Male

2. Controls gods

3. Controls shadows

"Follow me." Nico stood up, holding the list tightly in his fist. As he ran out of the Hades cabin he heard Gaea yell, "Wait for me!"

So, of course, Nico ran even faster. Unfortunately for Nico, Gaea was faster than him and so caught up to him as they weaved between the numerous cabins.

Neither of them spoke. They concentrated on the _thump; thump; thump_ their feet made every step. Nico waved at Hestia when they went past the fire. Gaea had never seen Hestia but knew it would be useless to ask whom Nico was waving to.

Nico stopped outside a grey cabin. Knocking on the door, they both waited for a child of Athena to open the door.

"Hello." A small girl, maybe 7 years old, stood in the doorway. As well as her grey eyes and blonde hair, the girl had red rosy cheeks and small dimples that only appeared when she smiled.

The daughter of Athena, known as Elizabeth, waved shyly at the visitors. Gaea smiled reassuringly while Nico waited on her left.

"Hello sweetie. Do you know where…"

"Annabeth." Nico whispered in Gaea's ear.

"Do you know where Annabeth is?"

Elizabeth pointed towards the Poseidon cabin before waving goodbye. Nico ran quickly with Gaea next to him.

Once they had found Annabeth (and managed to separate her from Percy) Nico gave her the sheet.

"Who fits in these categories?"

Annabeth scanned the page and then thought. Percy watched from the other side of the room, making sure he didn't distract her.

"Besides your dad? I can't think of anybody."

Nico waited for Annabeth to continue and slumped when she didn't. Gaea was thinking as well. "What about Titans?"

Annabeth shook her head sadly. "If it wasn't a boy… It could be tons of people: Hecate, Achlys, Asteria."

Gaea nodded thoughtfully. "What about primordials?"

Annabeth's eyes widened. "Erebus!" Nico straightened up. Percy came over to the group. Gaea felt a shiver race down her spine. The only person who fit their description was a primordial. A being so powerful it sounds impossible to defeat them while they're asleep, let alone fully conscious.

"Why did you need to do this anyway?" Percy stared at Gaea and Nico intently. They shared a look before glancing at their elder cousin.

"Somebody told me nobody could control shadows except Hades and I wanted to prove them wrong. I knew about some goddesses that could, so I thought maybe if I knew a god as well then it would prove my point more."

Gaea shuffled nervously, waiting to see if the Annabeth or Percy realised she was blatantly lying to them. Luckily neither of them knew Gaea well, so they gave her a strange look before she left.

Nico smiled as they left the Poseidon cabin. "Nice acting." He mocked, elbowing Gaea gently.

After sticking her tongue out Gaea turned to her brother.

"Race you to our cabin." She called, sprinting away from Nico.


End file.
